This invention relates to fabric treatment compositions. The invention also relates to methods for treating fabrics in fabric treatment applications with such fabric treatment compositions to thereby provide improved fabric care. The invention further relates to a process for preparing such fabric treatment compositions.
When consumers launder fabrics, they desire not only excellence in cleaning, they also seek superior to impart superior fabric care benefits. Such care can be exemplified by one or more of reduction of wrinkles benefits; removal of wrinkles benefits; prevention of wrinkles benefits; fabric softness benefits; fabric feel benefits; garment shape retention benefits; garment shape recovery benefits; elasticity benefits; ease of ironing benefits; perfume benefits; color care benefits; or any combination thereof.
Compositions which can provide fabric care benefits during laundering operations are known, for example in form of rinse-added fabric softening compositions. Compositions which can provide both cleaning and fabric care benefits, e.g., fabric softening benefits, at the same time, are also known, for example in the form of xe2x80x9c2-in-1xe2x80x9d compositions and/or xe2x80x9csoftening through the washxe2x80x9d compositions. WO 00/24 853 and WO 00/24 857 (both to Unilever, published May 4, 2000) describes laundry detergent compositions comprising a wrinkle reduction agent selected from among others from aminopolydimethyl-siloxane polyalkyleneoxide copolymers. In WO 00/71806 (Unilever, published Nov. 30, 2000) fabric softening compositions comprising a cationic quaternary ammonium fabric softening active and an emulsified silicone with a specific viscosity are disclosed. EP 989 226 (Dow Corning, published Sep. 24, 1999) claims a water-based fiber treatment agent comprising 100 parts of silicone oil, 5 to 200 parts of silicone rubber with an average particle size between 0.1 xcexcm to 500 xcexcm and water. U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,215 (Dow Corning, granted Oct. 24, 2000) describes a fiber treatment composition comprising a combination of an amine-, poly-functional siloxane having a specific formula with a polyol-, amide-functional siloxane having a specific formula and an active ingredient comprising an amine-, polyol, amide-functional siloxane copolymer of a specific formula. EP 1 199 350 (Goldschmidt, published on Apr. 24, 2002) discloses the use of quaternary polysiloxanes in detergent formulations claiming a fabric softening benefit. WO 02/18 528 (Procter and Gamble, published on Mar. 7, 2002) describes fabric care and perfume compositions for improved fabric care, the composition comprises a cationic silicone polymer comprising one or more polysiloxane units and one or more quaternary nitrogen moieties and one or more laundry adjunct materials.
In spite of the advances in the art, there remains a need for improved fabric care. In particular, there remain important unsolved problems with respect to selecting cationic silicones and other fabric care ingredients so that the combination of both provides uncompromising levels of fabric care. Furthermore, when the composition is a laundry detergent composition, it remains particularly difficult to combine anionic surfactants and selected cationic silicones in such a way as to secure superior fabric care at the same time as outstanding cleaning and formulation stability or flexibility.
Accordingly, objects of the present invention include to solve the hereinabove mentioned technical problems and to provide compositions and methods having specifically selected cationic silicones, silicones and optionally other adjuncts that secure superior fabric care.
An essential component of the present invention is a fabric treatment composition which comprises as one essential element at least one specific cationic silicone polymer. Another essential component of the compositions of the present invention is a nitrogen-free silicone polymer. The combination of the specific cationic silicone polymer with the specific nitrogen-free silicones polymer provides superior fabric care in home laundering.
The present invention imparts superior fabric care and/or garment care as exemplified above. Moreover the invention has other advantages, depending on the precise embodiment, which include superior formulation flexibility and/or formulation stability of the home laundry compositions provided.
It has surprisingly been found that, given proper attention both to the selection of the cationic silicone polymer and to the nitrogen-free silicone polymer, unexpectedly good fabric care benefits and/or consumer acceptance of the home laundry product are obtained. Moreover, superior fabric care or garment care benefits in home laundering as discovered in the present invention unexpectedly include benefits when the products herein are used in different modes, such as treatment before washing in an automatic washing machine (pretreatment benefits), through-the wash benefits, and post-treatment benefits, including benefits secured when the inventive products are used in the rinse or in fabric or garment spin-out or drying in, or outside an appliance. Additionally discovered are regimen benefits, i.e., benefits of converting from use of a product system comprising conventional detergents to a product system comprising use of the present inventive compositions and compositions formulated specifically for use therewith. In particular, it has been found that the combination of a specific cationic silicone polymer and a nitrogen-free silicone polymer provides synergistic effects for fabric care: the combination of both ingredients provide larger fabric care benefits at a given level such as softness compared to softness delivered from the only one of the two components when used on its own at combined levels. It has also been found that the combination of a specific cationic silicone polymer and a nitrogen-free silicone polymer demonstrates a higher robustness to soils and also to anionic surfactants, which may be carried over within the fabrics from the foregoing wash cycle in which a detergent composition comprising an anionic surfactant was used.
The present invention relates to a fabric treatment composition comprising at least one or more cationic silicone polymers, comprising one or more polysiloxane units and one or more quaternary nitrogen moieties, and one or more nitrogen-free silicone polymers characterized in that the ratio by weight of the cationic silicone polymers to the nitrogen-free silicone polymers is from 10:1 to 0.01:1, preferably from 5:1 to 0.05:1, and more preferably from 1:1 to 0.1:1.
The present invention further describes a method for treating a substrate. This method includes contacting the substrate with the fabric treatment composition of the present invention such that the substrate is treated.
The present invention also discloses a process for preparing the fabric treatment composition of the present invention or the liquid laundry detergent composition of the present invention comprising the step of a) premixing the nitrogen-free silicone polymer with the cationic silicone polymer, optionally in the presence of one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a solvent system, one or more surfactants, one or more silicone-containing surfactants, one or more low-viscosity silicone-containing solvents and mixtures thereof; b) premixing all other ingredients; and c) combining said two premixes a) and b).
The invention further includes the use of the fabric treatment composition of the present invention to impart fabric care benefits on a fabric substrate.